2686. Spirits of the same kind and species can be induced to believe they have the identity [of others], although they do not
Several times I have been shown by experience that spirits had been led to believe they were persons about whose life and manners I was in a position to know something, and due to that knowledge they led other spirits to believe they were those persons. They spoke like them, had the same mannerisms, and many other similarities, so that because of the knowledge in me they could not but believe they were the same persons, even if those people were alive who they were led to believe they were. In fact, they impersonated them so exactly that they departed in no way from how I knew them. For they are images of them, being of the same kind and species as the image of them in the earthly human's idea.
Spirits of this kind were with me and spoke with me and wanted to convince me, because they were convinced, that they were those same persons. But because I had learned that other persons can be copied with such similarity, I was not induced to believe.
2686. THAT SPIRITS WHO ARE OF THE SAME GENUS AND SPECIES [AS OTHERS], MAY BE INDUCED TO BELIEVE THAT THEY ARE THE SAME [AS OTHERS], ALTHOUGH THEY ARE NOT.
It has been sometimes shown me by experience that spirits may be induced to believe that they are persons, of whom I could have some knowledge as to life and manners, and from that knowledge [in my mind] they induced other spirits to believe they were the same [as those I knew]: they spoke in like manner as those, had similar souls and many similar things, so that from the knowledge in my mind [apud me] they could not have believed other than that they were those same persons: although those whom they were induced to believe themselves to be, were alive - yea so similarly did they act the persons of those, that as respects the knowledge thereof in my mind, they did not at all differ: for they are the images of those, because of a similar genus and species, as regards the image thereof in the idea of man. Such [spirits] have been with me and spoke with me, because they were persuaded that they were those same persons: but inasmuch as I have learned that other persons [might] thus be portrayed by such resemblance, I was not induced to believe.
2686. Quod spiritus qui ejusdem generis, et speciei sunt, induci queant credere, quod iidem sint, tametsi non sunt
Aliquoties experientia mihi ostensum, quod inducti sint spiritus credere, quod ii personae essent, de quibus aliquam cognitionem vitae et morum habere potui, et ex ea cognitione inducebant alios spiritus credere quod iidem essent; similiter loquuti sunt, ac illi, similes animos 1
et similia multa habuerunt, sic ut ex cognitione apud me, non aliter credere potuerint ii, quam quod iidem personae essent, tametsi viverent illi quos se credere inducebantur, imo tam similiter personam eorum agebant, ut respective ad cognitionem ejus apud me, nihil differrent 2
, sunt enim imagines eorum, quia similis generis et speciei, quoad imaginem ejus in idea hominis; tales apud me fuerunt, et loquuti mecum, et voluerunt mihi persuadere, quia persuasi erant ii, quod essent ii eaedem personae, sed quia didici, quod ita effingi aliae personae tali similitudine [soleant], non inductus sum ad credendum.
Footnotes:
1. in J.F.I. Tafel's edition animas
2. The Manuscript has different